This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the presently described embodiments. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present embodiments. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
In order to meet consumer and industrial demand for natural resources, companies often invest significant amounts of time and money in finding and extracting oil, natural gas, and other subterranean resources from the earth. Particularly, once a desired subterranean resource such as oil or natural gas is discovered, drilling and production systems are often employed to access and extract the resource. These systems may be located onshore or offshore depending on the location of a desired resource.
Floating drilling platforms are sometimes used for offshore drilling operations and include a hoisting system for raising and lowering equipment, such as a Christmas tree or well intervention equipment, to a subsea wellsite. In some instances, hoisting systems take the form of cranes used to load and unload equipment from an offshore platform. Of course, cranes and other hoisting systems can be used onshore as well. Hoisting systems often include metal wire ropes that are spooled from winches, reeved over sheaves (e.g., crown blocks), and used to raise or lower a connected load.